You have cavities? Can't you just get them filled, or has it being going on for so long that the entire tooth has rotted and broken off below the gum line?

Even then, if the root is ok, they can attach an anchor to the root and attach a fake tooth that will be better than new. Amazing what advancements there are in prosthetic dentistry.

Pulling a tooth is now considered the absolute last resort when the root cannot be saved.

I think the OP was saying that their public health plan only covers pulling the tooth out completely and they don't have the money to afford the other procedures.

I don't know what the consequences of losing the tooth could be but I think it would be worth it to get some kind of loan to afford a better procedure unless your only option to pay back the loan is some kind of labor that would torture you or be unfairly exploitative or unethical to expect you to perform. In that case, you have to overweigh whether losing the tooth outweighs the cost of getting the money.

Of course, if you are a totally disenfranchized person, your public and/or private support systems will not even give you the option of borrowing money for the procedure, possibly because you are considered permanently unemployable. I hate to even address this topic because I find it so inhumane to drive someone to seek paid employment by restricting their access to premium health care.

Staff: Mentor

The OP may not know that cavities can be filled, which is why I asked them to explain the situation.

That's true. Sometimes root canals are prescribed as the only alternative to pulling the tooth, which makes pulling seem like the only affordable option. Of course, if I was a dentist I would get tired of filling cavities for people with poor hygiene habits and dietary/snacking choices, but this is another issue.

Staff: Mentor

That's true. Sometimes root canals are prescribed as the only alternative to pulling the tooth, which makes pulling seem like the only affordable option. Of course, if I was a dentist I would get tired of filling cavities for people with poor hygiene habits and dietary/snacking choices, but this is another issue.

Actually, a root canal makes the tooth extremely brittle and vulnerable. A tooth that has a root canal needs to be capped as soon as possible or it will fall apart.

Actually, a root canal makes the tooth extremely brittle and vulnerable. A tooth that has a root canal needs to be capped as soon as possible or it will fall apart.

I have been lucky enough (har har) to have this worst-case occur. In the time between the cap and the procedure, tooth was lost, and finally extracted.

To the OP: a rotting tooth can lead to gum disease, never mind that it would eventually become excruciating. If you cannot have the tooth filled, for whatever reason, it is best to have it extracted. That is a terrible alternative if the tooth can be filled however, and can lead to further issue of orthidonture.

I'm going to make no assumptions: It would be VERY unusual to treat a cavity with extraction, in any country which has a public health plan... that is purely third-world and you obviously have access to a computer. If a tooth is removed, other teeth will "drift" towards the area which has been removed, sometimes in a very helpful way, other times requiring correction. There is no reason at all to avoid "drilling and filling" a cavity. In the case of an abscessed tooth requiring a root canal, pulling alone is no guarantee if the infection has spread to the jaw.

It's my sense that you're young, and these are not massive cavities, but I could be wrong. Given that, as Evo has said we really need more information, but the basics hold: fill if you can, extract if you must. There are always consequences, but nothing is worse than leaving the tooth in situ until the infection breaches the dentin and enters the root.